邮 (yóu) is a Chinese character meaning “post”. It is written from 由 (from; by way of; cause) and 阝 (left form: mound (阜); right form: city or settlement (邑)), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “post; mail”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
由 + 阝
Left–right structure
- 由 from; by way of; cause · yóu unknown
- 阝 left form: mound (阜); right form: city or settlement (邑) · fù unknown
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形拆分：第 1–5 笔为左部「由」，第 6–7 笔为右部「阝」）
Memory aid
On the right, 阝 is the wall of a town. On the left, 由 is a box with a stroke pushing straight up out of it — like a letter sticking out of a slot. A letter leaving town: 邮.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 邮局yóu júpost office邮 = yóu
- 邮票yóu piàopostage stamp邮 = yóu
- 邮寄yóu jìto send by post; to mail邮 = yóu
Go deeper
All readings
post; mail
post; mail; postal (used of the postal service and things sent through it)
邮政、邮寄；与传递信件包裹有关的事物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 邮局yóu júpost office邮 = yóu
- 邮票yóu piàopostage stamp邮 = yóu
- 邮寄yóu jìto send by post; to mail邮 = yóu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 邮 mean?
邮 (yóu) means post; mail; postal (used of the postal service and things sent through it).
How do you pronounce 邮?
It is pronounced yóu.
What parts is 邮 made of?
由 (from; by way of; cause) and 阝 (left form: mound (阜); right form: city or settlement (邑)), side by side. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形拆分：第 1–5 笔为左部「由」，第 6–7 笔为右部「阝」）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 邮 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 邮?
邑. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 邮?
Common ones are 邮局 and 邮票. The reading of 邮 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.